Since installing OSX on this MSi Wind I'm typing on, I've been involved in a lot of random discussion about netbooks in general, and Apple in particular. I was at Bump n' Grind cafe the other day and no less than four different people asked what the heck I was using, during my 2 hours sitting there having coffee and writing up some article ideas.

There's also been a lot of @ discussion and DMs on my twitter account about this computer.

One thing's clear - a lot of people would pay good money to get a true Apple netbook computer. They were all gee-whized over the size and portability of the MSi, and ironically enough a few were disappointed when they found out this wasn't an Apple product (weird!).

I've been thinking about this myself - it's obvious that Apple is missing the boat on netbooks, and it's equally obvious that if they made one, people would come. I remember how absolutely anti-phone Apple was for the few years leading up to the introduction of the iPhone - Steve Jobs was quite vocal about not wanting to get into that market - but once they did, it became their second (third? fourth?) coming. I bet many at Apple aren't kicking themselves for not doing the phone earlier.

Same deal with netbooks. Stevo has said publicly he doesn't like them, doesn't see the point, yada yada. But if Apple built a netMac, people would flock in droves. And the number one reason why isn't because it's a Mac IMO... the number one reason why would be because Apple's netbook wouldn't be hampered by Microsoft's absolutely stupid restrictions they put on the computers . In case you didn't know, Microsoft sells XP licenses to the current netbook makers like Asus, Acer, HP, MSi, etc at a super low cost, but only if the netbooks have the following restrictions: screen size no bigger than 1024x600; HD no bigger than 160gb; memory no more than 1gb; webcam no bigger than 1.3mpixel - and a few more things. If a Netbook exceeds these limits, the XP license cost goes up quite a bit.

Apple wouldn't have to worry about that. They own their own OS, and can do what ever they want! It would immediately set them apart.